National Nutrition Strategies To Combat Malnutrition In India

Though obesity and the diseases related to it are on the rise, malnutrition and stunting still remain one of the biggest health concerns.

Especially in developing countries such as India, one in every three children is stunted. Some of the previously conducted studies have found disturbing facts about the state of nutrition in people across the world.

Malnutrition - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention
Malnutrition refers to imbalances in a person’s intake of energy or nutrients and can occur due to an excess consumption of nutrients or a lack of nutrients.

‘Customized state and district level action plans are required to combat malnutrition in India.’

Tweet it Now

The common nutritional deficiencies include protein, iron and vitamin D. With an aim to spread awareness and formulate policies on the state of nutrition in India, the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) released the National Nutrition Strategy aimed at bringing nutrition to the core of the National Development Agenda.

The strategy lays down a road-map for effective action in achieving nutrition objectives, the planning body said in a statement.

M.S Swaminathan, one of the pioneers in agriculture science, released the strategy document emphasizing the need for a holistic nutrition strategy that would cover the nutritional needs of a person from birth to death.

Vitamin D Deficiency - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
Vitamin D the sunshine vitamin is essential for strong bones. Vitamin D deficiency is reportedly increasing worldwide and cause bone pain and muscle weakness.

He added that all three types of nutrition deficiencies -- under-nutrition, malnutrition and protein hunger -- need to be looked at in totality.

"Agriculture provides answers to most of the nutrition problems... The challenge is how you marry the two," he was quoted by IANS.

Medical Management of Vitamin Deficiencies
Vitamins are essential for our body to grow and develop normally. Vitamin deficiencies are widespread. Understand the role of dietary sources in vitamin deficiency prevention.

Experts pointed at the need for states to create customized state and district level action plans and a nutrition strategy to tackle challenges and address local needs.

"The strategy enables states to make strategic choices, through decentralized planning and local innovation, with accountability for nutrition outcomes," it added.

Malnutrition to Obesity - The Big Leap
Obesity is the root cause of problems like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis and gall bladder disease. A serious look at our strategies is needed to tackle this fast growing epidemic.

Source-Eurekalert